Sumie Sakai
|weight= |birth_date = |death_date = |birth_place =Suzuka, Mie, Japan |resides=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |billed=Osaka Tokyo Yokkaichi |trainer='Japan' Jaguar Yokota Lioness Asuka Cooga Bison Kimura United States Steve Bradley Killer Kowalski Slyck Wagner Brown |debut=April 20, 1997 |retired= |}} born November 24, 1971) is a Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. She currently resides in the United States of America, appearing with professional wrestling promotions in the northeastern United States such as Women's Extreme Wrestling and Chikara. Early life As a young woman, Sakai practised judo. From 1995 to 1997, she halted her practice of judo to work with senior citizens at the Kasugamachi Care Center in Kanazawa, Ishikawa. Professional wrestling career Japan Sakai became involved in wrestling when her friend and fellow judo practitioner, Megumi Yabushita, invited her to join the wrestling industry. Sakai trained under Jaguar Yokota and made her debut on April 20, 1997 with the Yoshimoto Ladies Pro Wrestling promotion, facing Yabushita in the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. She went on to form a tag team with Yabushita named . Later in 1997, Sakai began wrestling for Yokota's JDStar promotion, where she won both the JDStar Junior Championship and the JDStar Queen of the Ring Championship. She also won the Women's Championship of the affiliated American Wrestling Federation and the Tag Team Championship of the affiliated Trans-World Wrestling Federation. In 1999, she suffered a broken leg while wrestling Lioness Asuka. While rehabilitating, Sakai became enamored of American professional wrestling, and resolved to one day wrestle in the United States. While in Japan, Sakai faced several prominent male Japanese wrestlers, including Dick Togo, The Great Sasuke and Jinsei Shinzaki. She furthered her training under Bison Kimura, Cooga and Lioness Asuka. United States Sakai wrestled her first match in the United States in 2002. In May 2002, she began a three month tour of the US, where she feuded with Mercedes Martinez in New England Championship Wrestling. While in the promotion, she and Martinez traded the North American Women's Championship, but Sakai was champion when she returned to Japan. In 2003, she left JDStar and relocated to the United States. In December 2003 and January 2004, Sakai appeared with Ring of Honor, defeating Alison Danger and losing to April Hunter. She returned to Ring of Honor on August 20, 2005, losing to Lacey at Do or Die 5. On April 17, 2005, Sakai organised "WE LOVE SABU", a pair of shows held at the Differ Ariake Arena in Tokyo. "WE LOVE SABU" was organised in support of Terry "Sabu" Brunk, an American wrestler who had been afflicted with a serious virus in the summer of 2004, with the proceeds of the show going towards paying Sabu's medical bills. The show featured Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling alumni such as Masato Tanaka and Extreme Championship Wrestling alumni such as The Sandman. Sabu eventually made a complete recovery, returning to the ring on May 21, 2005. In 2005 and 2006, Sakai appeared with the French Queens of Chaos promotion. On July 13, 2009, the Pro Wrestling Fusion website announced that Sakai will face Awesome Kong in a match on August 22 at Daytona Beach, Florida. Mixed martial arts Sakai made her mixed martial arts debut on October 14, 2006, fighting American kickboxer Amy Davis in a bout promoted by the Primal Tribe Fighting Club as part of the Xtreme Fight Series II event. The bout ended in a no contest at the end of the first three-minute long round after Davis suffered an arm injury and was unable to continue as a result of an armbar applied by Sakai. "The bout ended in a no contest at the end of the first three-minute long round after Davis suffered an arm injury and was unable to continue as a result of an armbar applied by Sakai" This statement has not been verified with the Idaho State athletic commission's official fight report. In wrestling *'Finishing moves' :*Diving seated senton :*Fisherman buster *'Signature moves' :*Inside cradle :*Moonsault *'Managers' :*Tara Bush *'Nicknames' :*"Pune Tang" (WEW) Championships and accomplishments *'All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling' :*AJW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Yuko Kosugi *'American Wrestling Federation' :*AWF Women's Championship (2 times) *'JDStar' :*JDStar Junior Championship (1 time) :*JDStar Queen of the Ring Championship (1 time) *'New England Championship Wrestling' :*NECW North American Women's Championship (1 time) *'Pro Wrestling Illustrated' :*PWI ranked her #'20' of the best 50 female singles wrestlers in the PWI Female 50 in 2008. *'Pro Wrestling Unplugged' :*PWU Women's Championship (1 time) *'Pro Wrestling WORLD-1' :*Pro Wrestling WORLD-1 Women's Championship (1 time) *'Trans-World Wrestling Federation' :*TWWF Tag Team Championship (3 times) - with Cooga (1), Hiroyo Mutoh (1) and Megumi Yabushita (1) *'Women Extreme Wrestling' :*WEW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Annie Social Notes References * [http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles.asp?n_id=5907 Bobish, Seguin Win at XFS II] * Sumie Sakai at Bodyslamming.com * Sumie Sakai at Cagematch.net * Sumie Sakai at GloryWrestling.com * Sumie Sakai at Puroresuya.com * [http://www.necwwrestling.com/sakai-interview.htm Sumie Sakai Debuts in America] * [http://www.fmwwrestling.us/Sabu417.html WE LOVE SABU 4/17/05 Shows] External links * Sumie Sakai at Sherdog.com * Sumie Sakai at WExtremeW.com * Sumie's Myspace Page Category:1971 births Category:Female professional wrestlers Category:Japanese judoka Category:Japanese mixed martial artists Category:Japanese professional wrestlers Category:Living people Category:People from Mie Prefecture Category:People from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania